A BATTLING VICTORY

Cirencester 0 Yeltz 1

20 March 2004

Paul Holleran's excellent start as new Yeltz manager continued when we completed the double over title-chasing Cirencester on Saturday. An early goal from an in-form Simon Hollis clinched an important 1-0 victory, and took us back up to 3rd in the table .

We're probably out of the running for the title but if we are going to win this division we must beat leaders Redditch on Saturday. We've already beaten them once - and have generally done very well against the top teams this season - so let's hope our good form continues for the next few weeks.

Halesowen proved that a week is a long time in football by picking up their third successive win to complete the double over title-chasing Cirencester and maintain new manager Paul Holleran's perfect start.

The visitors quickly mastered the gale-force winds and created a great 3rd minute chance when Stuart Skidmore won the ball in midfield allowing the inspired Simon Hollis to play a defence-splitting ball into the area but Simon Forsdick hit wide from 12 yards. Four minutes later Forsdick took the ball around Paul Thompson but the home goalkeeper recovered to concede a corner.

Hard-working Halesowen hit the solitary winning goal in the 10th minute when new signing Dave Haywood played a short corner back to HOLLIS and his cross-shot sailed into the far corner of the net.

Hollis continued to cause danger as an outlet on the right and with the hosts blown off course by the conditions Gareth Hopkins sliced wide on 15 minutes. Jason Moore chased a long ball in the 19th minute to set up Nathan Lamey but Thompson saved with his legs and Haywood's resulting corner was cleared off the Cirencester line as the visitors created the cleaner chances.

The Centurians won their first corner in the 36th minute but the Yeltz finished the first-half strongly with Garry Wotton heading away another Hollis cross for a corner and Lamey cutting in from the right to test Thompson with a 20-yard drive three minutes before the interval.

Below-par Cirencester failed to capitalise down the slope at the start of the second period and it was Halesowen's Lewis Baker who headed a Stuart Skidmore cross over the bar three minutes after the break. The visitors then weathered a storm with Cirencester winning three corners in quick succession but improving goalkeeper Mark Sheils tipped away a 52nd minute Scott Griffin shot and pushed away a Gareth Hopkins shot on 56 minutes. Wotton then headed over the bar and home full-back Michael Davis hit high from 25-yards in the 73rd minute.

With the howling wind finally abating, the Yeltz almost increased their lead on the break with two minutes remaining when Thompson's clearance was charged down putting substitute Jimmy Haarhoff in the clear but the assistant referee flagged for offside.